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Drakenperch
Drakenperch is a province in southern Hoffendale which borders with Thoruum. History After the formation of Hoffendale the land of Jurt was split into a number of provinces. A large area of southern Jurt became the province of Almsloft. Two of Jurt's neighbouring city-states, Durnal and Halfcarb, were integrated into Almsloft over the following decades and the region enjoyed wealth and peace for many generations. Due to it's location in Hoffendale's south, away from the coast, it felt little of the effects of the Long Night. The Drake's Descent Three hundred years after the Long Night, a red dragon named Gurdrak had settled in the mountains of Thoruum. The Dwarves were at first ambivalent towards the dragon but as Gurdrak became increasingly territorial so did the Dwarves become less tolerant of his presence. Thoruum's king demanded Gurdrak be driven out but the drake was an ancient and powerful foe. The king tasked many adventuring parties to slay the dragon but none succeeded in slaying him. The Dwarven king, under mounting pressure from his people that a dragon could not be let live so close to unprotected settlements, ordered his troops to march out the city gates and rid his land of the beast. The king sent a portion of his force to flush Gurdrak from his lair while the remaining soldiers stood ready at the cave's mouth the strike him down. Gurdrak had no choice but to flee from his home and was wounded badly in his escape. Gurdrak fled towards Almsloft, with the Dwarves in pursuit. The Duchess of Almsloft, a cowardly and paranoid woman by all accounts, feared that the Dwarves were attempting some sort of ploy, that hunting down a rogue dragon was just a handy excuse to position their armies for an ensuing attack on her borders. The Duchess chose to ready her own forces along the borders of Almsloft. As Gurdrak soared over the border the Dwarves were barred from crossing. The Dwarven king pleaded for passage into the land so that the wounded Gurdrak might be finished, lest he be given time to heal and return to Thoruum for fiery vengeance. Tension mounted between the two forces until one night two Dwarven sappers were caught attempting to sneak past the border, the two Dwarves were executed by order of the Duchess. Formation of Drakenperch The Dwarven king was enraged by the execution of his captive soldiers and marched his army in force towards Hoffendale's border. Conflict erupted between the two sides. But before the battle reached a fever pitch it was interrupted by the sudden arrival of King Jok and his royal retinue. King Jok was able to diffuse the battle, rallying Hoffendane men behind his banner. After almost sparking a war between the Men and Dwarves, Jok dismissed the duchess from her position, installing an interim minister in her place. In reparations to the Dwarves, Jok agreed to deal with the threat of Gurdrak. Jok chose to placate the dragon instead of attempting to slay him and offered Gurdrak a lair in the mountains, providing that he would not feed on the peoples of Almsloft nor venture into Thoruum. Jok left for a time, returning after a number of months to choose a new noble to invest dukedom upon. Jok found that the minister he had appointed had all but fallen under the sway of Gurdrak, who had gained a great deal of influence in the region, having established a new hoard and many servants. Many nobles expected Jok to slay the drake for overstepping his place, instead, and to their great shock, Jok entered parlance with the dragon and named him Duke of Almsloft, a title he retained till 17DE. Geography Nobility The nobility of Drakenperch was uniquely static, with the venerable Gurdrak holding the title of duke for over four hundred years. The duke was divested by King Osgarth after the arrival of Tiamat, charged with the crime of lesser-treason for pledging loyalty to the Unbidden. Gurdrak was replaced by Countess Lida Berth, daughter of Hoffendale's Lord Judge. Category:Hoffendale Category:Human Category:Dragons